Ascendence
by Ratchen
Summary: Kaichi nearly adjusts to his new life in Tokyo before an unfortunate accident brings him to the realm of the gods. A new fate lies in store for him as he meets the various gods of legend, finds romance, and realizes the important role he'll play in a story of gods. (MxM pairing)
1. Chapter 1

Snow had always been a wonderful occurrence for Kaichi. Having moved to Tokyo from Hokkaido only months earlier, the boy often missed the quaint, snow-covered landscape of his hometown. He had arrived in the middle of summer to a concrete jungle where he always felt lucky to even spot a tree or two. Now that the seasons had turned to winter, though, he began to feel a bit more at home. Not to mention, his two best friends, Saori and Masaki, were taking him on a trip outside of the city to enjoy this first snowfall.

"Kai! I've never seen anyone stare so intently out of a window before," Saori stated, tucking a lock of her long brown hair behind her ear as she stared with apparent concern. Kaichi broke from his daze, finally turning away from the window for the first time in what felt like an hour. The tip of his pale nose had turned red from the coolness of the window and even his black bangs felt cold against his forehead. Cold was a feeling he liked—a feeling that, though uncomfortable in the moment, made jumping into a hot spring or drinking warm tea feel even more satisfying. From the seat across from them, Masaki let out a laugh, giving Kaichi a light kick with his boot.

"Can't you tell, Saori? He misses his hometown with all the blizzards and snow monkeys!" Masaki was a year older than the other two—now a senior in college—and had the personality of the most stereotypical older brother. At times he was overlyprotective of his two best friends, then on a moments notice, he was roughhousing with them and tackling them to the ground. Kaichi grinned at Masaki, his face turning a bit redder at how easy it was to read his emotions. It was true that he wished he could at least return to Hokkaido to see his parents during the snowy winter season, but he was grateful that his friends had planned this trip just for him. The two had constantly gone out of their way to help him adjust to city life ever since his first day of school in Tokyo. As the train pulled into the station, Saori and Masaki picked up their bags and made their way to the door.

"Let's go before everyone else wants to get off too!" Saori exclaimed, pulling down on her bright pink, knit cap.

"Right! I still haven't learned to think like a city boy," Kaichi responded, pulling his own black backpack onto his shoulders. The train came to a halt moments later and the doors pulled open to a frigid breeze, snow falling lightly and melting instantly as it blew inside the train. Masaki led the way off the train, pulling out his phone to look up the location of their cabin. Saori and Kaichi, both far less responsible, instantly lit up as they took their first steps in the snow. It seemed as though their rush had been for nothing as no one followed them off the train.

"Wah! I haven't seen snow like this since I was a little kid!" Saori exclaimed, prancing down the stairs of the small, outdoor station and into the snow-covered dirt path. Her brown snow boots sunk down into the snow almost all the way up to where they met her grey leggings.

"Wow, look at how deep it is!" she exclaimed, pointing excitedly at how deep her foot had sunk. Kaichi hopped down the stairs and jumped into the snow as well, smiling at the sensation.

"It is pretty deep! I didn't know Tokyo could get this much snow!" Kaichi replied excitedly, taking a few more steps. The two continued to play around in the snow and would have continued if not for Masaki's commanding voice.

"You guys act like you've never seen snow before! Anyway, you can continue playing once we get to the cabin. Let's go," the older boy ordered, leading the way down the path, snow piling atop his short, black hair. Saori glared slightly, annoyed that her fun had been interrupted, but followed without a complaint. Kaichi let out a soft chuckle, amused by the pair's antics. Saori and Masaki had been friends since childhood, so each knew the other to the core. As he followed along, he once again silently expressed his gratitude that they had taken him into their group.

"You two know this is the area where people say the battle of gods took place, right?" Masaki stated, glancing behind at the other two with a grin.

"Yeah, yeah…who even believes in the gods anymore?" Saori stated, rolling her eyes. Although Kaichi didn't express it, he more or less agreed with the girl. Belief in the gods had shrunk significantly since earlier generations and shrines were hardly visited, save for the main gods. His grandpa had always told him stories of the gods and even about humans who had been able to interact with them. As a child, nothing excited him more than the idea that no matter where he went, he had gods looking over him. Particularly, the story about a girl who could walk the line between the human world and the world of gods had always stuck with him. As he grew up, though, his faith in their existence wavered and he had even become a bit cynical. Still, thinking of the girl who could meet the gods always gave him a pang of jealousy.

"Gods are real, Saori! And you better not denounce them or they won't look favorably on you anymore!" Masaki shot back, glancing from Saori to Kaichi. "It's said that this is the place where Bishamonten fought against the heavens and won."

"Oh, I've heard that story! Bishamon was one of the strongest war gods, so she was able to hold her own against a whole army!" Kaichi responded, his boots crunching against the snow.

"That's right! Maybe we'll be able to see a god here if we're lucky," Masaki replied, almost tripping in the deep now, but managing to catch himself. Saori let out a scoff, but Kaichi could see that the idea of meeting a god here excited even her.

"If we meet a god here, you'd better hope it's a nice one, or else I'm sacrificing you two to make my escape," the girl stated, a smirk covering her face. "Well, maybe not Kai…but definitely you, Masaki!"

"Hey! You can't sacrifice your best friend. Who else can leak all of your darkest secrets?" Masaki stated, an even bigger smirk appearing on his face. The two continued bickering as Kaichi took in his surroundings. The area they were in felt like a frozen tundra, spotted with bunches of evergreen trees here and there. In all the time that they had been walking, they'd yet to pass even a single person. Kaichi had no complaints—Masaki and Saori were loud enough on their own and he enjoyed the fact that it was just the three of them in nature.

"Ah…there it is! Finally!" Saori stated, pointing excitedly at the cabin after what seemed like half an hour of trekking through the snow. Masaki unlocked the front door and pushed it open, revealing a rather posh cabin. Two sets of bunk beds lined the far wall and a large fire place covered the adjacent wall. A comfy sofa sat in the middle of the cabin with a fuzzy, orange rug underneath. The three dropped their backpacks onto the couch, happy to be free of the weight.

"Wow, this place is really nice!" Kaichi exclaimed, climbing up onto one of the top bunks. Saori climbed onto the other top bunk, then pointed at the bunk below Kaichi.

"Don't get ideas, Masaki! You're sleeping under Kaichi," she stated, crossing her arms with a smile. Masaki sprawled himself out on the designated bunk with an over-the-top sigh of relief.

"Wouldn't have it any other way!" he replied, causing Saori to shoot him a glare.

"Whatever! Anyway, let's take a little rest and then explore the area around the cabin, okay?" the girl asked, pulling out her phone and beginning to text.

"Sounds good to me," Masaki responded, Kaichi nodding in agreement. The younger boy decided a nap would probably be best to regain energy and before he knew it, he was out like a light. He woke to Saori in the exact same position, texting furiously. Peering down at the lower bunk, he saw that Masaki was already awake with his boots on.

"Ah, you finally woke up. Now Saori can stop texting and we can actually go enjoy nature!" Masaki exclaimed. Saori rolled her eyes, but finally put her phone away and climbed down to the floor.

Kaichi rubbed his eyes and let out a small yawn before following suit. "I can't wait to go out there! It's just like Hokkaido!"

His friends both instantly lit up at the remark, clearly happy that he was enjoying the trip they had planned for him. As they finished lacing up their boots, Masaki quickly ushered them out the door. It was already quite late in the day and the sun was on a decline. Before long, it would be sunset—Kaichi's favorite time to be outside in the snow. The orange and pink of the sunset reflected off the snow and made for a sight that was impossible to see anywhere but out in nature.

"Let's get moving! We should get back to the cabin before it gets dark," Saori stated, leading the way into the snow. The trio walked for quite a while, simply enjoying the frozen landscape before they finally came upon an area of interest. The sun had begun to set and the lights that Kaichi loved began to glean off of the white snow. In some areas, it gleaned even brighter than normal, causing Kaichi to squint at what was amplifying the light.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, pointing towards the area where the light reflected particularly brightly. "It's ice! That whole area is a frozen pond!"

Masaki and Saori looked to where he was pointing, their faces lighting up with excitement.

"Wow, it's just like in those movies where people go skating on a frozen lake! I've never seen one in real life before!" Saori exclaimed. Masaki seemed equally as impressed by the spectacle, inching closer to it. He came to a halt near the edge, Saori following close behind. Masaki stopped the girl from progressing and turned to Kaichi.

"It's not safe, right? It's risky to go skating on this kind of ice!" he asked, causing Saori to look to Kaichi for confirmation as well. Kaichi shook his head, his black hair swinging back and forth before landing softly back against his forehead.

"No, it should be safe! I went skating on ponds like this all the time in Hokkaido!" he replied, coming to the edge of the pond himself. He had skated on frozen lakes with his friends countless times when they were little. He had to admit, Hokkaido was quite a bit colder than the area they were currently in, but tapping his foot on the ice, it felt quite sturdy.

"Hmm, well, I trust you Kai…but you're the pro, so you go first and show us how!" Saori said, looking from her friend to the frozen pond, then to Masaki. The older boy nodded in agreement.

"You should definitely go first, Kaichi. I'm definitely gonna slip and fall on my face, so it'd be good to see how a pro does it first," the older boy stated. Kaichi grinned at the thought of his friends slipping and sliding on the frozen surface, just like he had as a little kid.

"Okay, okay. I'll go first! You just have to keep your balance and pretend like you're wearing skates," he stated, taking a step onto the ice. As he pushed himself away from the perimeter of the pond, his skating skills instantly returned to him as he slid quite gracefully towards the middle.

"Wah! You should be a figure skater, Kai! You're actually really good," Saori stated, covering her shocked mouth with a mitten. Masaki nodded his agreement, then demanded that Kaichi do a spin for them. Kaichi grinned once again, happy that his skill could be of entertainment. As he reached the center of the pond, he did a quick spin, gaining an overzealous round of applause from the pair.

"Honestly, it's more fun to just watch you skate! I'm too scared of falling!" Masaki confessed. To his surprise, Saori nodded her agreement and the pair took a seat on some rocks popping out of the snow. As the sun really began to set, Kaichi did a few more tricks that he remembered from his childhood in front of his friends.

"Alright, it's getting pretty dark now," Kaichi stated, looking towards the horizon where the sun had all but disappeared. "Ready for the finale?"

Saori and Masaki let out a cheer that echoed through the silence of the wilderness. Kaichi turned his back towards them, looking towards the far side of the pond. This stunt would take a lot of momentum and he'd likely have to skate all the way to the far side. He turned back to his friends, then pointed towards the other side of the lake.

"Mmm, you guys should stand over there! It'll be a better view!" he stated. The pair nodded and made their way around the perimeter of the lake to the other side, waiting eagerly.

"Wow, I haven't done this since I was like ten," Kaichi stated to himself. With a smile, he pushed himself towards the far side of the pond, memories of his childhood filling his head. As he picked up speed and came to the middle of the pond, the last rays of sunshine glanced off of the far side of the lake, revealing ice that looked particularly shiny. A pang of dread shot through him as a memory came to his head. His parents had always warned him countless times to avoid ice that looked like glass.

"Where the ice is shiniest is also where it's weakest," he remembered his dad stating when he took him skating as a kid.

"Damn it!" he whispered to himself, realizing the mistake he had made. He had yet to skate on that side of the pond and hadn't bothered to scope it out, yet now he was going too fast to stop. It was a rookie mistake, and he was shocked that he had let himself forget something so obvious and critical. Kaichi dropped to his bottom and dug his heels into the ice, his gloves clawing in a desperate attempt to stop his momentum. Saori and Masaki looked at him with concern from the far side of the lake, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Are you okay, Kai?!" Saori shouted as the skating boy finally came to a halt on the ice. Kaichi looked down at where he had stopped and his eyes widened as he realized he could see perfectly through the transparent ice to the lake below.

"Shit…" he stated, this time loud enough for his friends to hear.

"What is it?!" Masaki exclaimed, beginning to move forward towards the ice, Saori following behind.

"Don't!" Kaichi shouted, doing his best not to move a muscle at the risk of cracking the ice beneath him. "Whatever you do, don't come on to the ice!"

"What are you talking about, Kai?! Don't tell me…" Saori stated as she realized what was happening. "What do we do?!"

"There's nothing you can do! We didn't bring any rope. I'll just have to get off of the pond by myself. If I fall, make sure you don't come onto the ice or you'll both fall in too!" Kaichi responded, daring to inch forward on his bottom towards the perimeter where his friends stood. A deathly silence filled the air as a sense of dread overtook the trio. The boy managed to make it almost a foot before a light crackling sound filled the air. The sun had all but set, but even in the darkness, he could see splinters spreading through the clear ice below him. As he stared helplessly at his friends, he realized it was too late to do anything. If only he had had one more chance to see his parents back in Hokkaido, he would've apologized for having made such a stupid mistake.

"Kaichi!" Masaki shouted from the shore, looking around frantically for something to throw out for his friend to grab.

"Kai!" Saori shouted, tears welling up in her eyes as she stared on at her friend helplessly. The crackling sound intensified as Kaichi gazed back at his friend, tears of regret beginning to form in his own eyes. He turned his head to look for any hint of the sunset, but night had already fallen upon the landscape. He opened his mouth to assure his friends that it would be okay, but the ice gave way in the moment, fracturing beneath him and plunging him into the icy water below. Even beneath the water, he could hear the screams of his friends, but the pond below the ice was pitch black and there was no longer any sunlight to illuminate the ice above him. The frigid water instantly caused him to lose his breathe as he gasped from the burning sensation. Swimming towards the surface, he couldn't break the ice above him no matter how hard he swung at it, the water slowing his punches.

As the last of his breathe slowly left him, he opened his eyes under the water and looked around. If there was a moment that a god would appear to save him, it had to be now. To his dismay, only darkness embraced him as his strength faded. Sinking towards the bottom of the pond, the darkness overtook him completely.

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 _Yay, my first Noragami fic! I love this series so much. ^^ The gods will start appearing in next chapter, so be sure to sub and favorite! 3_


	2. Chapter 2

Frozen. Everything had frozen. Time, his mind, his body. All that Kaichi could feel was the sheer cold penetrating every part of his body and all Kaichi could see was darkness. He had no idea of how much time passed in this state, or if time even existed anymore. He had no recollection of what had put him in this state nor did he have the capacity to think about it. He was simply frozen.

After what seemed like an eternity in stasis, things began to thaw. The ice in his veins turned slightly less cold and his mind began to work again—albeit with no memory of before. Most importantly, the darkness began to give way to light. First blurry, then progressively clearer. As his vision came back to him, Kaichi could see that he was lying on his back staring directly up at the blue sky. His fingers twitched and he managed to turn his head to face them, realizing he was lying atop soft grass.

The boy pushed himself to a sitting position, looking blankly at the area around him. The landscape, while green, was barren of any other humans. In fact, only a few groups of trees dotted the flat ground in any direction. Kaichi rose to his feet, unsure of how he had ended up here or what he should do. Shrugging to himself, he headed off at random, hoping to find a building or person that he could ask for directions. What seemed like hours passed before Kaichi spotted the outline of what looked like a small town.

"Finally!" he exclaimed to himself, increasing his pace. From here, it looked as if the village had only ten houses and what looked like a shrine. The sun had already begun to set and Kaichi was grateful that he'd be able to at least take shelter in the town at night. As he walked, he admired the pretty sunset descending behind the village. He wondered if any of the villagers would let him spend the night, but wasn't worried as he was sure he could hold his own for one night in the outdoors. Finally, he came to the edge of the village, letting out a sigh of relief.

Though small lanterns hung from the houses, a strange sense of unease struck the boy. The village was as silent as could be-Kaichi could hear the wind blowing through the spaces between the structures. The sun had finally set and the lanterns were his only guiding light as he made his way down the town's main street towards the shrine. Was everyone sleeping already? It was still quite early. He considered simply knocking on one of the doors, but wanted to see what information about the village he could glean from simply walking around. Just as he reached the shrine, a stray cat leapt from the roof of one of the buildings, letting out a loud "meow" and dashing in front of Kaichi. Kaichi stumbled backwards, surprised by the sudden appearance in the quiet town. To his surprise, the cat blocked his path and hissed at him, it's white and brown fur standing on end.

"Eh? Why are you so aggressive, kitty?" he asked, surprised by the cat's forwardness. The cat suddenly stopped, turning around to face the shrine as if it were searching for something. A moment later, two yellow orbs appeared from within the shrine, contrasting clearly against the night. Kaichi quickly realized that they weren't lights, but ghostly eyes, as they shifted around before locking onto him. The cat let out a final "meow," looking at Kaichi, before darting past him and down the street which he had just come from.

"Wait! Where are you go-" Kaichi began, beginning to realize that perhaps the cat had been trying to tell him something. Before he could finish his sentence, a ground-shaking roar echoed from the shrine. Kaichi whirled around and saw that the two orbs he had seen earlier were attached to a huge, shadow in the form of a bear. Eyes and fungus sprouted from its ethereal body, making it look like a living nightmare. The aura it gave off, just from standing up, caused Kaichi to shutter as it stung his very being. In an instant, the creature jumped off it's pedestal and charged for the shrine entrance where Kaichi stood, barreling through the shrine's old wooden gates.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Kaichi exclaimed, turning on his heel and making a break for it at full speed. He was fast, but still no match for the speed of the bear. He could hear the creature's footsteps getting louder as he made it to the middle of the village, but he dared not look back. Just before passing the final house in the village, he heard a "meow" to his right. The cat sat perched in a small windowsill, leading into the house. Once it had drawn his attention, it jumped down lightly, disappearing from sight.

Kaichi wasn't sure what was going on, nor was he sure why he was going to follow a cat in a moment like this, but his instincts took over. Making a sharp right, he darted up the steps to the house, the bear only a few feet behind him now, it's blighted breathe reaching the back of Kaichi's neck. Grabbing the edge of the windowsill, he vaulted himself through the narrow opening and landed with a rough thud on the structure's wooden floor. There was a thunderous crash as the bear collided with the outside of the house, and the boy was shocked that it hadn't destroyed the wall. Wincing, he pulled himself to his knees and came face to face with the cat.

"Y-you saved me!" he exclaimed, patting the cat on the head. The cat purred happily, seemingly satisfied with itself. The happiness was short-lived as Kaichi turned and saw that the shadowy creature had morphed and lost its form, simply pouring in through the windowsill that he had just jumped through. Kaichi grabbed the cat and made a break for the back of the house, hoping for a door that would let him escape. To his horror, there was not only no door, but the only window was so small that he wouldn't be able to fit through it.

"Damn it! What the hell is that thing?!" Kaichi questioned, placing the cat on the ground as the shadow reformed into a bear. "Well, I might not make it out of here, but at least you can get away!"

Kaichi took his elbow and slammed it into the window, shattering the glass instantly. Using the sleeve of his sweater, he wiped away the remaining glass and picked up the cat, placing it on the windowsill.

"Go!" he commanded, shooing the cat as the shadowy bear charged towards him. To his surprise, the cat opened its mouth and rather than a "meow," words came out.

"Aw, damn it! I can't leave behind a nice kid like you," the cat stated, suddenly glowing with light. Much like the bear, the feline lost its shape briefly, before reforming into a man that looked to be in his late 20's. The man had medium-length, red hair that was perfectly styled and matched well with the stylish navy suit that he wore. Stepping in front of Kaichi, he swiped his hand forward in front of the pair and a shining silver line crossed the ground.

"A line!" he exclaimed, just as the bear reached it. The shadow creature looked as if it had collided with a transparent wall, letting out a roar of anguish as it shuffled away from the shining line. The man brought a finger to his ear, tapping on an earpiece.

"Ah, yes, Ebisu-sama. We have...an unexpected situation. If you could make your way here, it would be most appreciated."

The man turned to Kaichi, offering him a smile. Kaichi looked wide-eyed from the man, to the bear stuck on the other side of the barrier. What the hell was going on?

"I'm Harami, one of the great god Ebisu's shinki," he stated. "Don't worry, that phantom isn't strong enough to break through my barrier. We'll just wait here until Ebisu arrives and eradicates it!"

Kaichi's heart skipped a beat. "Ebisu? Phantom? But...how? Was I transported to a different dimension or something? None of this is possible!"

Harami's expression dimmed a bit as he realized the boy wasn't aware of his situation. "Er...I suppose you could consider this a different dimension! Yes, let's go with that!"

Before the two could discuss the matter further, a voice called from outside the house.

"Harami! Where are you?" asked the voice. Harami rushed to the window, peering out and signaling to the newcomer.

"In here, Ebisu-sama! I think it'll be an easier fight if you go in the front door," the redhead advised. Kaichi peered over his shoulder and could make out two figures in the darkness. Before he could get a good look, however, they both rushed to the front of the house. The front door opened to reveal a boy that looked similar to his own age and a man in his late 30's.

"Let's go, Kunimi," the boy stated, holding his arm out to the side. "Come, Hoki!"

Kaichi watched as the older man turned into a spirit that was then absorbed by the younger. Suddenly, the boy, who Kaichi assumed was Ebisu, moved with much greater agility, leaping into the air and delivering a crushing kick to the shadow bear. The creature stumbled back into the barrier, letting out an infuriated roar.

"Harami, you know I don't have a shinki that can eradicate ayakashi right now," Ebisu stated, dodging nimbly out of the way of a sharp claw, before punching the creature in the maw. "I'm a god of fortune, not a god of war! The fact that I even had to come here...you were supposed to just look at the value of this town so that I could purchase it!"

"I'm sorry, master! I couldn't just let this spirit get torn apart by that abomination!" Harami replied, placing a hand on Kaichi's back. Kaichi looked up at him with a confused expression.

"Spirit?" he asked. Before Harami could reply, Ebisu kicked the bear in its side, sending it flying to the side of the house and crashing to the ground. Harami wasted no time, grabbing Kaichi by the wrist and pulling him past the bear and out of the house. Ebisu followed suit, slamming the door shut behind him and running to meet the other two.

"Let's get out of here," the boy stated, closing his eyes and focusing. In an instant, the group had teleported from the abandoned village to what looked to be Ebisu's magnificent shrine. Fountains poured forth pure, blue water and the decadence was clear.

"Revert, Hoki," the boy stated, the older man immediately materializing next to him. Kaichi noticed the boy's posture instantly became worse and his agility seemed to be lost. Still, he commanded an air of respect, giving Kaichi a look up and down. He turned and gave a look to Harami, still in cat form.

"Harami, I don't know if making this spirit my shinki would be the best decision...financially. Maybe it's best if I ask around and see if any of the others need a new shinki. Surely Bishamon would take him in."

Kaichi perked up at the mention of Bishamon, remembering the tale that he had of her great battle. Kunimi shook his head disapprovingly and let out a sigh.

"Not everything is a financial transaction, master," he stated, looking from Harami to Kaichi. "But if that is what you wish, shall we summon the others?"

Ebisu nodded and Kunimi immediately set off to complete the order. The god, dressed in a form-fitting suit, turned to face Kaichi, a serious expression on his face.

"If you haven't figured it out already, you're a spirit. But fear not, for you can now serve a greater purpose and support a great god. Although I can't house you, I've called for a few others to come and all of them are great masters."

Kaichi scratched his head, confused by all of this information. "Masters? So...I'm a servant?"

Ebisu let out a sigh, shaking his head. "Your friends will be your other shinki and your family will be your master and their shinki. You're not a servant quite yet, but once a god bestows you with a name, you'll be bound to them."

Kaichi continued the questioning, trying to gain a better understanding of where exactly he was, until Kunimi came back with a group of other men and a pink-haired woman. "I've managed to bring Yato, Kofuku, Kazuma, and Tenjin."

Ebisu immediately began scolding Kunimi, pointing at the pink-haired newcomer. "You let Kofuku come here?! Do you want an economic disaster, Kunimi? I told you she can never set foot in this place!"

"Aww, I just wanted to come see my cute little Ebi!" the girl exclaimed, jumping forwards and pulling the god of fortune into a strangling hug. The two fought for a moment before Ebisu could finally pull himself free. Straightening out his suit and pushing his hair back into place, he turned to the newcomers.

"Well, I guess it can't be helped. Anyway, I've asked you all here because we've just found this new spirit, yet I don't have a place for him here. Would any of you be willing to house him?"

The oldest newcomer-a man clearly in his elderly years-let out a chuckle, looking at Ebisu with a smile. "I'm surprised you didn't just kick him out if you saw no value in it."

Ebisu shot a glare at the older man. "I'm not that cruel, Tenjin. Besides, I already invested the energy into saving him, so I might as well make it pay off."

Tenjin shrugged, then looked Kaichi up and down, a slight look of disapproval upon his face. "You know I only have female shinki. There was no point in calling me here."

Kofuku perked up, stepping forwards and pointing at Kaichi. "Aww, he's such a cutie! I'll take him! We'll have so much fun together. Daikoku will love him too!"

Ebisu hesitated for a moment, looking at the two other newcomers. "Yato! Kazuma! One of you has got to want him, right? I don't want to consign him to a fate as the god of poverty's servant."

The god of poverty? Kaichi didn't like the sound of that. He looked back and forth between the last newcomers-Kazuma and Yato? Both were actually quite cute and if he had to be a servant, he wouldn't necessarily mind working for either of them. The brown-haired one stepped forward, adjusting his glasses before speaking.

"On behalf of Bishamon, we would be happy to take in this spirit," the man said, fixing his eyes on Kaichi. The boy could tell this one was quite strict simply from his intense gaze. Still, he was quite cute. Before Kazuma could continue, the purple-haired boy pushed past him, getting uncomfortably close to Kaichi.

"Hold on, Kazuma," stated the purple-haired boy, placing his hand on Kaichi's shoulder and turning to face the man with glasses. "That crazy master of yours already has more than enough shinki! Plus, I've been thinking that it's about time Yukine had another regalia to get to know. Spending all of his time alone with me has made him even grumpier lately!"

Kazuma let out a sigh, but surprisingly nodded his agreement before turning to face Ebisu. "It's true that Yukine could use a friend. He seems rather lonely these days and anyone would go insane from having only Yato to spend time with. I suppose Yato needs this more than Vina, so I'll let him take the lead."

"Why you...how dare you insult a god, four eyes!" Yato exclaimed, shaking his fist in anger. He seemed to remember the matter at hand a moment later and quickly turned back to face Kaichi.

"I know this is all sudden, but would you care to join my crew? I'm Yato, the delivery god-and soon to be god of fortune! I promise that I'll do everything in my power to take care of you and that you'll be a member of my family."

Kaichi's face flushed a bit, shocked by the unexpectedly kind speech. This Yato fellow seemed like a good guy, albeit a bit goofy, so perhaps this wouldn't be the worst fate. Besides, anything would be better than being left alone in this world where he knew nothing. Taking a deep breathe, he looked Yato in the eyes and gave a confident nod.

"I'd appreciate the chance to join your family, Yato-san!"

Yato's face lit up, clearly overjoyed that Kaichi had taken the offer. Kofuku let out a squeal of delight as well and even Kazuma and Ebisu cracked a smile. Yato took a step back holding two fingers out towards Kaichi.

"In that case, you with nowhere to go and nowhere to return, I grant you a place to belong," the delivery god stated, beginning to trace characters in the air. "With this name, I use my life to make you a regalia. Thou art Yerune! As regalia, Yu. Come, Yukki!"

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 _Heheh, these chapters end up being so long. T_T Please sub/fave! And comment so I know what to improve on. :p_


	3. Chapter 3

The name instantly materialized in the air in front of Kaichi, hanging for a moment before branding itself upon the back of his left hand. Although it didn't cause him pain, the mark was clearly permanent, its thick, black lines running the length of his hand as if painted by ink. The boy himself began to glow, but rather than transforming, his eyes simply burned a brilliant silver. Yato gave him a confused look, then inspected his eyes more closely.

"Hmm?! You're not a weapon? Or even armor? In fact, you hardly changed!" Yato exclaimed, pointing at the boy's silver eyes. "Your transformation just makes your eyes change colors?"

Tenjin stroked his beard, an equally confused look upon his face. "Hmm, that is quite strange indeed. Shinki almost always take another form when summoned. Yerune, do you feel any different?"

Kaichi-now Yerune-glanced around, seeing if anything felt different. Nothing on his own body felt out of place and he still had complete control of his actions, yet he seemed to feel the aura of those around him as well. Still, he had no idea what use that would serve him, nor what anyone expected from him.

"I don't feel any different, but I can feel...er, I don't know how to describe it exactly. I can feel your energies?" he stated, scratching his black hair confusedly. Yato looked to Tenjin for an explanation, but the old god simply shrugged.

"Alright, revert Yukki," Yato stated, the silver light instantly fading from Yerune's eyes as he reverted to normal. "Well, that was unexpected. Honestly, I was kinda hoping you'd be some cool dragon blade or elemental weapon, but...I guess this is cool too!"

Yerune looked at the ground, his face flushing with embarrassment. Clearly Yato had expected a much more showy result than what he had provided. He looked up and opened his mouth to apologize, but before he could say anything, Yato had jumped forward and wrapped his arm around the boy.

"Don't worry about it! I'm sure there's more to it than that. We'll find out what it means together! And even if it really is only your eyes changing colors, you're still officially part of my family, so I'll protect you till the end!" Yato said enthusiastically, pumping his free arm in the air, a derpy grin appearing on his face. Kazuma nodded his agreement.

"As a hafuri, I'm confident in the fact that there's more to your transformation than we've seen. Don't worry about it," he told the younger boy, offering a reassuring smile.

"Anyway, I want to hurry up and have you meet my other shinki, Yukine!" Yato stated, grabbing Yerune's arm and pulling him away from the others. "He's gonna be so excited to have another regalia to talk to!"

The delivery god shot a quick thank you to Ebisu and exchanged farewells with the others, Yerune bowing to each of the gods in attendance. Kofuku gave the boy a spine shattering hug and assured him that they'd meet again-actually, quite often-in the future.

"Alright, alright, that's enough talk! Let's go!" Yato exclaimed, closing his eyes and grabbing Yerune's arm. The new shinki felt the same tingling sensation that he had felt when Ebisu had teleported earlier and before he knew it, the pair stood in a small shrine in the middle of a city. Compared to Ebisu's magnificent domain, this hardly seemed to qualify as a place of worship, dwarfed by the buildings surrounding it. Still, Yerune had no intention of insulting his master if this was the shrine he resided at. Yato turned to him, a finger on his lips, willing Yerune to keep silent.

"Wait here!" the god whispered, before hurrying to the other side of the shrine and disappearing behind a large wooden enclosure. A silent moment passed with Yerune glancing around and taking in his new home before a voice erupted through the air.

"You WHAT?!" came an angry voice. It's owner was quickly revealed as a younger, blonde boy chased Yato around the corner, attempting to smack the god to the ground. Upon seeing Yerune, the boy stopped, his eyes widening as he realized Yato had been telling the truth. Bringing his hand to his forehead, he turned to face the god.

"How could you just bring back another regalia without even asking me first?! I'm your guidepost!" the boy exclaimed, a look of both anger and hurt in his eyes.

"Calm down, Yukine!" Yato exclaimed, pointing at Yerune. "He was lost and needed a home. And besides, I thought it'd be good to have someone for you to talk to other than me."

Yukine looked at the newcomer, his eyes narrowing for a moment before he regained his composure. He marched over to the older boy, who was quite a few inches taller, and crossed his arms.

"Well, it's too late to do anything about it now. And I guess it's not your fault. But just remember that I'm Yato's guidepost and head regalia!" the boy exclaimed. Yerune glanced at Yato uncomfortably, hoping that the god would diffuse the situation, but Yato merely stared back. Turning his attention back to Yukine, Yerune forced a smile.

"O-of course! I had no intention of getting in anyone's way. I'm just grateful to have a home," he stated, clasping his hands together. In truth, the slightest hint of jealousy welled up within the boy. Ebisu had warned him that his master would be able to feel his emotions, but he couldn't help it. Still, he hardly knew Yato and there was no way he could say he had developed any romantic interest in the god at this point. Still, the fact that he had felt even a minor pang of jealousy concerned him. Upon hearing the other boy concede, Yukine's expression softened a bit, his guard dropping as he realized the newcomer was not necessarily a threat.

"Mm, then I guess it's fine. I'm Yukine. Nice to meet you," the shorter boy replied, suddenly acting far more mature. "So...what's your regalia form? I'm a hafuri!"

"Hafuri…?" asked Yerune, remembering Kazuma also mentioning the term. Yato sauntered over, clearly pleased that he had avoided the awkward initial greeting. He placed an arm around Yukine's neck and ruffled his hair proudly.

"It means that Yukine is super strong and actually transformed because he loves me so much! Right, Yukine?" Yato stated as the blonde attempted to escape the headlock, shouting insults at the god. Yato released the boy and turned to Yerune, a more serious expression crossing his face.

"It's not quite dark yet and I'm still curious about your ability, so how about we slay some ayakashi to see what you can do?" Yato asked, heading towards the exit without waiting for a response.

"Well, at least slaying ayakashi is being helpful…that's rare for Yato," Yukine mumbled to himself before following the god out of the shrine. Yerune, still intimidated by the other regalia, followed the pair in silence.

The group walked for only a few minutes before they came upon a moth the size of Yato's head, covered in the same decaying, shadow aura that the bear had had earlier. Yerune made note that creatures like this must be the ayakashi that Yato referred to. Did that mean that these things were everywhere? Yerune shuddered at the thought.

"Come, Sekki!" Yato exclaimed, holding out his hand as Yukine transformed in a blinding light. Yerune watched in amazement as the blonde boy morphed into two swords that Yato wielded with expertise. The new shinki now understood why Yato had seemed disappointed by his lack of transformation. Rather than striking out at the creature and starting the battle, Yato turned to Yerune and pointed at the moth with one of the swords.

"This one's not too big or aggressive, so it'll be a good chance to see what you can do!" he exclaimed. "Come, Yukki!"

Yerune felt the energy pulse through his body as it had the first time and his heightened senses came rushing back to him. The moth's dark aura amplified, making the boy feel sick with dread. What was he supposed to do? Attack it with his bare hands? Before he had the chance to think of a plan, the creature turned its attention to him and flew forward in a head-on attack. The only method of defense that the boy could think of was to act as he always did when he saw a bug. As the creature came within arm's reach, Yerune slapped it to the side with all his might. Although the attack worked and the creature was sent flying, a jolt of intense pain swept through the boy's palm, causing him to recoil as if he had touched something hot. Yato also let out a gasp of pain, before regaining his composure and looking at Yerune with concern.

"Did he sting you?!" came Yukine's voice from what seemed like inside Yerune's head. Yato shook his head, hushing Yukine as he looked on at his new shinki. Yerune glanced down at his hand and his breathe caught in his throat. The palm of his hand was covered in purple-black burns that emitted the same darkness that came out of the creature.

"Shit," Yato exclaimed, also seeing the injury. "It blighted him! We need to get him back to the shrine so we can wash it!"

Before Yato could reach the boy, however, Yerune's silver eyes, still focused on the wound, shifted to a brilliant gold. Yato took a step back in surprise, his jaw dropping as he saw exactly what was taking place. Exposed to the light radiating from Yerune's eyes, the blight sizzled and festered, then began to shrink in size. Moments later, the wound was gone and the boy's eyes returned to the shining, silver color.

"EH?!" Yato and Yukine both exclaimed, shocked by the event. Yato gripped both swords in one hand then grabbed Yerune's palm with the other, inspecting it closely. "The blight is gone?! But how? Your ability is curing blight?"

Yerune was just as confused as his companions, looking to Yato for an explanation. The moth finally picked itself back up and came for another charge, but Yato sliced it down nonchalantly, still fixating on the boy's palm.

"YES!" Yato exclaimed suddenly, releasing Yerune's hand and pumping his fist into the air. "I _did_ get a cool regalia!"

Yerune still wasn't quite sure what was going on, but he smiled, happy that Yato seemed proud of him. The god placed his finger under his chin, thinking.

"Hmm, so you can heal, but you're absolutely defenseless in battle. This is definitely going to call for a different strategy than we usually use," Yato stated, half to himself, half to Yukine.

"So now we have to protect him all the time?" came Yukine's voice, clearly annoyed. Yato nodded.

"Seems that way!" Yato exclaimed, unfazed by the handicap that it would create in battle. "His ability more than makes up for it, though!"

Yukine remained silent, but Yerune could feel the disapproval without the boy saying anything. Yato turned to Yerune, an excited look upon his face.

"Let's go practice and see just how much your ability can do!"

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 _Please review/sub! :D Thank you all for reading ^^_


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